"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Murdering Your Partner"
Classic country music often features murder ballads as a prominent theme. Although they may be less common in contemporary times, there still exists a collection of exceptional songs that revolve around men killing their female romantic partners. However, it is rarer to find songs that depict women taking on the role of the killer. But don't worry, the country music genre also offers a significant number of songs about women who commit murder, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
We had a few criteria that eliminated some obvious choices for this list. We decided to include only one song per artist, so even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder songs in their repertoire, they were each only given one spot on the list. While songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately overshadowed by even more popular songs and didn't make the final cut.
The topic was defined in a way that made it even more specific. In order for a murder song to be included in this list, it needed to have at least one male victim. This means that even though Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" is considered one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, it couldn't be included. Other notable mentions like Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love" also didn't make the cut for this list.
What remains is a truly remarkable and despicable collection of the top songs in country music that revolve around killing someone. Take a look at the images below to discover our choices for the most impactful songs about seeking revenge and lesser-known tracks that touch on the topic of murder – specifically, targeting the man in your life or persuading someone else to do it for you. Keep reading, and don't forget to inform us in the comments if we overlooked your preferred song about eliminating your man.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Image Credit: Carena Liptak
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